Incandescent lamp and the like



Nov. 2, 1937. D. K. WRIGHT INCANDESCENT LAMP AND THE LIKE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 2, 1936 bu /V Nov. 2, 1937. D. K. WRIGHT INCANDESCENT LAMP AND THE LIKE Filed Jan. 2, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 v B'c Inventor: Daniel KWr-ight, by flan/17$ 5 Hi Attorney Patented Nov. 2, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Daniel K. Wright, Cleveland Heights, Ohio, assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Application January 2, 1936, Serial No. 57,196

25 Claims.

My invention relates to electric energy translation devices, such as incandescent or other electric lamps, comprising an energy-translating unit enclosed or sealed in a bulb or envelope,

usually of glass. The invention is especially suitable and advantageous for translation devices in which considerable amounts of heat are developed, such as high wattage electric lamps with incandescent tungsten filaments as energytranslating elements. The invention is especially concerned with mounting and current supply features of electric lamps and other translating devices, including the provisions for fluid or vacuum tightness where the conductors pass through the enclosing bulbs or envelopes.

It was formerly the general practice to provide an incandescent lamp or other electric translation device with a separate, unitary base" attached to its hermetically sealed glass envelope by cement or the like, and provided with engagement and contact means for securing the base in a socket or support and establishing the necessary electrical connections. To determine the position of the translation element or fila ment relative to the socket and any associated reflector, as for focussing. the securing means of such separate base (e. g., screw threads or bayonet pins) and the contact(s) in the socket were relied on.

More recently, high-wattage devices have been made without any unitary base, or with a base forming part of the bulb Wall or envelope that serves to exclude air and contain the desired vacuum or gaseous atmosphere in the device. Such constructions arc exemplified in my Patents Nos. 1,967,852 and 1,988,290, granted July 24, 1934 and Jan. 15, 1935, respectively. In these, the lamp is mounted, and its position relative to the socket is determined, solely by the. contactmeans, which in the constructions in question are hollow and form part of the air-excluding envelope wall.

My present invention involves a base which, in general, forms part of the bulb or sealed envelope of the. device, and embodies standardized seating means for engaging corresponding fixed standardized seating means of the socket or the like. Preferably, such seating means of the bulb (or of its base portion) has the form of an annular shoulder with reference to which the filament or other translation element can readily be accurately located, in definite, predetermined standard position, when the parts are assembled during manufacture. Terminal devices with securing and contact means quite separate and distinct from the aforesaid seating shoulder of the base provide for holding the base shoulder properly seated against a fixed annular socket shoulder, and for making the electrical connections. The base portion or, indeed, the whole of 5 the bulb or envelope is preferably of heat-resistant material, such as metal or high-melting glass like Pyrex and various borosilicate glasses.

The contact terminal devices and their attachment to the base also present features of novelty, 10 which may, indeed, be useful in other types of construction besides those here shown and described.

Various other features and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description of 'species thereof, and from the drawings.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a side view of an incandescent electric lamp conveniently embodying my invention; Fig. 2 shows a vertical section through a socket taken as indicated by the line and arrows 2-4 in Fig. 6, with a lamp similar to that of Fig. l therein; Fig. 3 shows a vertical section through the base of Fig. 1 before its attachment to the rest of the bulb; Fig. 4 is a similar view illustrating a stage in the attachment of contact terminal devices to this base; Fig. 5 is a side view'illustrating a stage in the manufacture of the contact terminal shown in Figs. 1-4; Fig. 6 is a plan view of the socket shown in Fig. 2; Fig. '7 is a diagram including plan and edge views of an engagement or locking device and a .side view of a contact device shown in Fig. 6, illustrating their operating interrelations; and Fig. 8 is a bottom plan view of the socket shown in Figs. 2 and 6. Fig. 9 is a side view of a lamp with contact terminal devices somewhat different from those shown in Figs. 1-5; Fig. 10 is a bottom plan view of the lamp; Fig. 11 shows a fragmentary vertical section through the base shown in Fig. 9, on a larger scale; Fig. 12 shows a vertical section through the base before its attachment to the rest of the bulb; Fig. 13 is a similar view illustrating a stage in the attachment of contact terminal devices to the base; Fig. 14 is a side view at right angles to Figs. 9, 12 and 13, partly in section, illustrating a stage in the manufacture of one of the contact terminal devices, its skirt being shown in section; Fig. 15 is a plan view of one of the parts shown in Fig. 14; and Fig. .16 shows a vertical section through a socket and adapter device for the lamp and base of Figs. 1-5. Fig. 17 is a fragmentary side view oi a lamp with contact terminal devices somewhat different from those in Figs. 1-6 and 9-14, with a corresponding socket shown in dotted lines; and

' sealed exhaust opening or-tip 26. The contact- 182K. 18, a plarsyiew he Fig-1't,.. V v.

The electricdamn eta -m-m..1 o a ses.

glass envelope or-bulb; 22 containing arr:electric; translation unit. 2|, consisting-of; a translating element or filament 22 with its-supporting'structerminals or prongs 25, 25 project outward from the base 24 as contact and securingstuds 21,21, rigid with the base, and also extend inward therethrough to the interior of the bulb 20, preferably through holes 23,- 28 formed in the base. The translation unit 21 is preferably mounted on the base 24 by attachment of its supporting structure 23 to the inward-extending ends of the terminals 25, 25 and the filament 22 is connected in'series between them.

. At the angle between itsflat outer or bottom surface and its (conical) periphery, the base 24 has a ''(standardized) annular seating shoulder 29. The corner between the bottom and peripheral surfaces may be rounded off somewhat, as shown, without impairing the seating and aligning functions of the shoulder 29. In Fig. 2, the seating shoulder 29 is shown engaged with a corresponding (standardized) annular seating shoulder 30, here of reentrant, rahbeted conformation, at the open mouth of the socket 32. The rigid contact and securing studs 21, 21 of the devices 25, 25 extend down into the socket 32. When base 24 and socket 32 are brought together andturned relative to one another, the studs 21, 21 coact with engagement means in the socket to draw and hold the lamp base shoulder 29 firmly against the socket shoulder 30, to make the necessary electrical connections, and to yieldingly lock the base 24 and socket 32 against reverse .turning,all as more fully explained hereinafter.

In practice, the base 24 is made up as a separate piece, preferably of heat-resistant glass more or less like Pyrex, and is fused to the lower end of the bulb 20. This is done, of course, after the translating unit 2| has been mounted on the base 24,--or, as shown, on the inner ends of its terminals 25, 25. Figs. 3 and 4 show the separate glass base-piece 24 before sealing to the rest of the bulb 20: it may be provided with an external lip or flange at its outer edge, to facilitate the attachment or "sealing in, as it may be called. Fig. 3 shows the base-piece 24 after attachment of the terminal devices 25, 25 thereto, and with a glass exhaust-tube also attached at its exhaust opening 26. Fig. 4 shows the base-piece 24 assembled with the terminal devices 25, 25 before their attachment, and also shows the exhaust tube, separate but in position for fusion to a projecting lip around the exhaust opening 26.

As best shown in Figs. 1 and 3 the terminals 25, 25 have around them thin sealing flanges 33, 33, of flaring, cup-like, conoidal form, whose outer edges are attached to the base 24 around the holes 28, 28 by fused glass seals 34, 34, making gas and vacuum tight joints. With a base 24 of glass, the seals 34, 34 may be formed by fusing the glass of the base itself to the edges of the skirts 33, 33, as shown in Fig. 3. For this purpose, as shown in Fig. -4, the base 24 may be initially provided with projecting lips or annular flanges 35, 35 around its holes 28, 28, of such size as almost to fit into the skirts 33, 33: indeed, the flanges or hollow bosses 35, 35 are shown with rabbets at their outercornersrinwhich t edges-otthe a. "can just sent, so 'asto assure proper assembly ndxe xnm n for l -51a suitab e iic. 1 61-1- dashlinesinliiggh m I to ire the proper relation during.

sealing. sealing, the bossesor lips 35, 3 5 (and the skirts 33, 33) are heated to a temperature of sink the edges of the skirts into the lips or hollow bosses 35, 35,-and even into the thickness of the glass to the metal skirts 33, '33 is secured over a wide internal annular zone of theskirt margins, as well as over an external marginalzone, and strong joints are obtained. The operation admits of great accuracy, so-that the contact'terminals 25, 25 and their projecting stud portions 21, 21 can readily be brought to exactly the same standard positions relative to the base shoulder 23,-parallel with its axis-in any number of bases.

The sealing flanges or skirts 33, 33 may be of die-stamped or spun sheet metal. They should, of course, present surfaces which the fused or softened glass will wet" and stick to, and should preferably have the same expansion as the glass, as near as may be. For heat-resistant glass of the character hereinbefore indicated, these conditions can be fulfilled with skirts of an alloy known as Fernico, described in U. S. Patent No. 1,942,260, granted Jan. 2, 1934, to H. Scott. The skirts 33, 33 should be thin enough to yield somewhat to any stress from the glass under-temperature changes,say about .01 inch thick for skirts some 5 inch in diameter and of the proportions shown. Such skirts also afford a limited resiliency that cushions the shock of an accidental blow against a stud 21, for example, and-prevents breakage at the seal 34 or elsewhere in the glass. However, the projecting studs 21, 21 are rigid with the,base 24 for all practical purposes. While it is unnecessary to taper the edges of the skirts 33, 33 to the extreme thinness resorted to when hollow copper terminals are sealed to glass, moderate tapering is advisable, if there is any material difference between the expansion of the glass and the skirt material. For a base 24 of Pyrex glass, whose coeilicient of expansion is about 32 X 10-", slnrts of Femico, whose coefflcient is about 47 l0", may be tapered to a thicknem.

of between .006 and .008 inch at a distance of 5 inch from the edge, and to about .002 inch, more or less, at the very edge that is sealed into the glass. With about this degree of taper (which can easily be produced by squeezing the margin of the skirt 33 in die-stamping it), the resilience of the metal will take care of the diiference in expansion and contraction satisfactorily, and the seals 34} 34 will remain tight indefinitely. With a glass of coefficient 43x10 for example, less taper of the skirts 33, 33 is suflicient,-or even noneat all in some cases. Obviously, the skirts 33, 33 and the main terminal members need not be originally integral,or even of the same metal,--but may be originally separate parts united and sealed together by gas and vacuum tight joints, as of fused metal. Joints of a soldered or brazed type are in some respects preferable. With skirts 33, 33 of Fernico, it is advantageous to make the main terminal members of iron, and to braze the skirts to them with copper. Close to each skirt 33, as shown in Figs. 3, 4, and 5, the-cylindrical contact and securing stud portion 21 of each terminal 25 has an engagement or securing shoulder 38, shown as formed by a or approaching fusion of the glasaand endwlse pressure is applied to the terminals 25,}25 so asto .base 24 itself, as shown..-- Thus adhesion of the- I reduction 39 in its diameter. At the skirt 22;the terminal member is also reduced in diametenon a bevel, thus aii'ording a shoulder 49- thatdetermines the position oi the skirt on the member. As shown in Figs. 3, 4, and 5, the round hole in the bottom of the skirt 22 has .an' inturned sloping flange 4i, conformable to the slope of the bevel at 40 and afi'ording an increased area and ampler strength for the brazed joint. In Figs. 3 and 4, the seal of fused metal 35 is clearly shown; in Fig. 5, the skirt 33 and the main terminal member are shown assembled ready for brazing, and a ring 21 of copper wire (or other suitable brazing metal) is shown fitting around the main member against (above) the outer, convex side of the skirt 22. The assembled parts being suitably held in the relation shown in Fig. 5,-as by a sufiiciently heat-resistant iig", not shown,-heat is applied (as by introducing the jig and all into a furnace with a reducing atmosphere) to melt the copper wire 31 and cause it to run into the cracks and braze the skirt 23 rigidly to the reduced portion of the terminal member and its shoulder 40.

As shown in Fig. 2, the socket 22 comprises a hollow insulating body 44 whose open mouth has the reentrant or rabbeted seating shoulder 20 already referred to. For coacting with the shoulders 35, 35 oi the base studs 21, 21, the socket 32 has engagement means 45 arranged substantially in a plane parallel with the shoulder 25, but belowit, and preferably resiliently yielding. While the engagement means 45 might also serve ior'electrical contact to connect the translating device in circuit, separate contacts 41, 41 are shown for this purpose in Figs. 2 and 6, arranged below the engagement means 45 to engage the large lower portions of the studs 21, 21. Thus the engagement means 45 can also serve, in the present instance, to shield the contacts 41, 41 against premature or improper engagement with the studs 21, 21,--or, indeed, against being accidentally bridged or short-circuited in any way, as by a tool in the hands of a careless person. As it is preferred to make the engagement means 45 of (springy) metal, its portions pertaining to the individual studs 21, 21 are shown as separate parts in Fig. 6 (where they appear in plan), and are hereinafter referred to as engagement members 45, 45. They are electrically isolated or insulated from each other and from all the electrical parts of the socket.

As best shown in Figs. 6 and 8, one end of each engagement member 45 is secured or anchored by a screw bolt 49 to the insulating structure 44 of the socket. The free end of each member 45 has therein a key-hole opening 49, curved concentrically with the axis of the socket seat 30. From the large circular end of this opening 49, which is adapted to take the large portion of a contact stud 21, a narrower arcuate slot extends toward the anchored end of the member 45, this slot being just wide enough to take the intermediate portion 39 of the stud 21, above its shoulder 38. As shown in Fig. 7, each member 45 has a radially extending sloping-sided bottom hump or downward off-set 5|. When the lamp base 24 is placed in the socket 32 by inserting its studs 21, 21 through the large ends of the keyhole openings 49, 49, and then turned clockwise, the stud shoulders 38, 38 are forced under the bottom humps 5|, 5| of the springy members 45, 45, resiliently flexing the latter slightly. Thus the base and socket shoulders 29, 30 are drawn and held firmly against one another. As shown in Fig. 7, the extreme free end of each member 45 beyond its hump 5| is offset very slightly above the general plane of the rest of said member 45, to assure slight clearance for the stud shoulder beneath the member 45 when the stud starts into the narrow end 01' the keyhole 45, Just after the base 24 is first turned clockwise.

As shown in Figs. 2 and 6, the contact means 41 for each stud 21 engages the stud laterally with some resilient pressure, and on both sides. Two pairs oi opposed resiliently yielding contact laws or fingers 41, 41 are shown for each stud 21, mounted one pair above another on the upstanding arm of a metal L-bracket 52, and forming, as it were, a U-clip,-best shown inFigs. 6 and 7. Thelower arm of bracket 52 is secured to the insulating structure of the socket by a screw 52. The two pairs of I contact jaws or fingers 41, 41 may be formed of one piece of springy sheet metal bent to a, U or yoke shape, with the legs of the U slotted almost to its connective member. The connective member of the U abuts against the upright arm of bracket 52 and is secured thereto by rivets 54, 54. In the present instance, the resiliently yielding contacts 41, 41 also serve as a means for yieldingly locking the base 24 against reverse (counterclockwise) turning, after the studs 21, 21 have been properly engaged with the contacts. For this purpose, as shown in Fig. 6, the opposed spring fingers 41, 41 that coact with each stud 21 are oppositely bent to aflord arcuate recesses for receiving and gripping around the stud, as well as humps at the free ends of the fingers diverging on a bevel, so

that they can be laterally displaced or forced limit is approached,-so that the members 45, 45

shall resist reverse turning of the base 24. Considerable counter-clockwise force must be exerted on the base 24 in order to force the spring contacts 41, 41 apart and release the studs 21, 21; so that it is practically impossible for the base 24 to be jarred loose and fall out of the socket 32 accidentally.

As shown in Figs. 2 and 8 the bottom of the insulating socket body 44 is recessed to accommodate flat metal connectors 55, 55, which are secured in place and electrically connected to e the contact brackets 52, 52 by the screws 52, 53, and are provided with binding screws 56, 55 for the attachment of current supply wires (not shown). Nuts 51, 51 for the screw bolts 45, 48 that secure the engagement members 45', 45 are shown housed in correspondingly shaped recesses in the bottom of the socket structure 44. A central insulating wall 52, upstanding from the bottom of the socket body 44, intervenes between the engagement members 45, 45 and makes angular displacement of them impossible: it is shown with a recess 59 in its top to accommodate the exhaust seal at 25. Holes 50, 50 for screws or bolts (not shown) to secure the socket 32 to a support (not shown) are also illustrated in Figs. 2 and 5.

In Figs. 2 and 6 the socket 22 has index marks 52, 62 in line with the stud-receiving large por-,

. the keyholes 49, 49.

ture 44, so that one at least of them will always bevisible when the socket 32 is regarded side- 'wise. The members 45, 4! completely shield the recesses of the socket body 44 which house the contacts 41, 41 and receive the studs 21, 21, making it impossible to insert the latter far enough for the base shoulder 29 to reach the socket shoulder 30 except through the large portions of Inserting the studs 21, 21 through the keyholes 49, 49, it is impossible to bring the studs against both contacts 41, 41 at the same time,- no matter how much askew the studs may be in the keyholes,except by turning the lamp and base 24 clockwise relative to the socket 32. When this is done, a certain resistance is met with as the stud shoulders 38, 38 encounter and underride the humps 51, 5| of the engagement means 46; and this insures that the studs 21, 21 shall encounter the contacts 41, 41 virtually at the same instant, and with an unbroken, forcible movement that quickly snaps the studs past'the divergent humps at the contact law or finger ends into the recesses, where they are firmly gripped and held. When, on the other hand, .the effort is made to turn the lamp and base 24 counterclockwise in order to remove it from the socket 32, the resistance of the contact jaws or fingers 41, 41 to being forced apart by the studs 21, 21 insures a quick break at both studs as soon as the finger humps separate sufficiently to let the studs pass out between them. Thus objectionable arcing between a stud 21 and a contact i1 is impossible, either in inserting a lamp in the socket 32 or in removing it.

Returning, now, to the translating unit 21 in Fig. 1, it will be seen that its supporting structure includes a pair of metal wire uprights 23, 23 facing one another, with a pair of insulating refractory cross-bars 63, 63 spanned betwen them. For securing the ends of the cross-bars 63, 33 against the uprights 23, 23, there are metal wires 64 extending through holes in the cross-bars 63, 63 and having their ends bent over toward or against the uprights, and (in the latter case) Welded thereto. The coiled filament 22 is shown arranged in a series of co-planar parallel lengths in the rectangular frame formed by the supporting uprights 23 and cross-bars 63, with the bends or connections between lengths supported by refractory metal hooks 65 whose ends are fused into the cross-bars. The laterally extending ends of the filament 22 are welded to the supports 23, 23. The round inner ends of the terminal devices 25, 25 e shown tubular or bored out at 68, 66 to he the round ends of the wire supports 23/23, which are inserted in the tubes and securd by welding, or by crimping, bending, or otherwise suitably distorting the telescoped parts,or both. By the use of a suitable jig .(not shown) a definite, predetermined, standard position of the filament 22 relative to the base shoulder 29 is assured when the supports 23, 23 are attached to the terminal devices as just described.

I do not herein claim the socket 32, either alone or in combination with the base, in as much as these form the subject matter of my application, Serial No. 57,197, filed Jan. 2, 1936, concurrently with this application.

In Figs. 1-4, the seating shoulder 30 of the socket 32 is of reentrant or rabbeted conformation, while the seating shoulder 23 of the base 24 is a simple external angle. In'Figs. 9-14, these relations are reversed: i. e., the-seating shoulder of the base 24b is reentrantly formed by a rabbet 241) at the-angle between the fiat bottom and the (conical) periphery of the base,

while the socket shoulder consists of the upper edge or inner corner angle 33b of a socket shell 32b.-which may also be the screw shell of an Edison screw base adapter-10, Figs. 9 and 16. As shown in Figs. 9, 10, and 11, the base shoulder 23b preierablyengages laterally against the upper socket edge 30b only at three isolated (equally spaced) points, consisting of protuberances 1| in'the corner of the rabbet at 291): this obviates any possibility of imperfect seating due to slight warping oi the base 24b.

The contact terminal devices 26b, 251) shown in Figs. 9-14 are also different: i. e., the main terminal members have the form of fiat strips,

and their surrounding skirts 33b, 331) are hemispherical die-stampings of sheet metal, rather than conoidal. As their engagement or securing means, the parallel flat contact studs 21b, 21b have round socket-holes 28b, 2812, (Fig. 14) thus resembling the contact blades or prongs or an ordinary attachment plug. Each strip-like main terminal member is reduced in width and shouldered at 40b, adjacent the skirt 33b. The skirt 33b has an elongated hole that readily takes the reduced portion of the main terminal member,--which as shown in Fig. 14 extends from the shoulder clear to the end of the member that lies inside the bulb in the complete lamp. As shown, the shoulder lb-or each such shoulder, since there are two distinct shoulders in this instanceslopes at an angle or on an arc corresponding to the adjacent or abutting spherical surface of the skirt 33b. In attaching the skirt 33b to the main member, an oblong rectangular ring 311), such as shown in Fig. 16, is fitted around the large part of the main member against and above the outer, convex side of the skirt 33b, and fused down into the cracks as already described in connection with Fig. 5, thus brazing the skirt rigidly to the reduced portion of the terminal strip and its shoulders 40, 4ll,'as shown at 36b in Figs. 13 and 14.

In other respects, the lamp and its base 24b and terminal devices 25b, 2511 may be like those illustrated and described in Figs. 1-5, and may be similarly fabricated. Its supporting uprights 23b, 2312 are of channel section, and fit on therectangular upper or inner ends of the terminal devices 25b, 25b, and are welded or secured by crimping in the channel sides on the ends of the members, as at 3512, 65b,-or in both ways,as in Fig. 1. The wires 34b which hold the ends or the cross-bars 63, 63 engaged in the channelled uprights 23b, 23b and abutting against the channel webs may extend through holes in the latter and be bent over at their ends, instead of being welded to the uprights as in Fig. 1.

For coacting with the parallel fiat contact studs 21b, 21b and their sockets 23b, 2817, the adaptersocket device shown in Fig. 16 has parallel guideways 1|, 12' oi fiat tubular form, with spring-pressed engagement or securing members 13, 13 of spherical form exposed and projecting through holes 14, 14 in the adjacent sides of the guideways, to engage in the sockets 28b, 23b. The balls 13, 13 and their springs 15, are housed in tubular sheet metal "capsules 18, 16 whose .fianged mouths may be welded to the sides of the 1|,I2. 'Ihe parts are soproportionedandthestiifnessofthesprings II, II so chosen that when the balls 18, "are in the sockets 28b, 20b of the studs 21b, 211:, the base shoulder lib is held firmly seated against the socket shoulder 30b. Thus the lamp is firmly and accurately held with its translation element 22 in just the desired predetermined position relative to the socket 32b, and any associated reflector, (not shown) and is yieldingly I looked against removal.

All of the parts lust described are shown embedded in a body of insulating composition l1 thatfillsthescrewshellflband alsoembeds its inturned bottom flange 18. One guide tube II is bent radially inward and then downward axially of the screw shell 32b, in the insulation 11, and

extends to the lower end of the central portion of the latter that projects beyond .the screw shell 32b. The center contact disc 80 is soldered, brazed, or otherwise secured to this end of the tube 'II'. This center contact 80 is shown with a securing tab or tang 8| embedded in the insulation 11. The lower end of the other guide tube 12 abuts against the inturned shell flange I8 and is'soldered, brazed, orotherwise secured thereto.

Thus the adapter may be used to mount the lamp in an ordinary Edison screw socket, such as the mogul socket heretofore used for ,many high-wattage lamps.

Fig. 17 shows a lamp with modified metal terminal devices He, He, whose rigid flat contact and securing studs 21c, 21c have their ends bent radially outward at 2.0, 28c into a common plane parallel with that of the standardized seating shoulder "c of the base 240. For coaction with the reentrant or rabbeted base shoulder 290, the

socket 320 shown in Figs. 17 and 18 has a corresponding standardized rabbeted shoulderjtc at its open mouth; and for coaction with the outturned stud ends 180, 280, the engagement and contact means of the socket 320 consist of circumferentially extending metal leaf-spring members 84, 84. each secured or anchored at one end to the bottom of the insulating socket body by a screw II. The free end of each spring 84 is bent upward on a bevel, and near the free end,

- The stiffness of the springs 04, N is such that when the stud ends 28c, 200 are thus engaged under and interlocked with them, the base shoulder 20c is held firmly seated against or in the rabbeted socket shoulder 300. Thus, again, the lamp is firmly and accurately held with its translation element in just the desired predetermined position relative to the socket 320 and any associated reflector (not shown), and is yieldingly locked. Socket openings in the studs 21c, 210 are unnecessary, since the outturned ends 28c, 20c take their place as engagement means.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by I Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. An electric translating device comprising a glass bulb or envelope, with a glass base forming part of the envelope wall and having an annular seating shoulder for e g i a corresponding socket shoulder; substantially rigid-contact teraocaoso minaldevices sealedbyfusion to saidbasepartof the envelope-wall and forming electrical connections to the inside ofthe envelope, and proof the envelope wall andhaving a seating shoulder for engaging a corresponding socket shoulder; metal contact terminal devices comprising rigid members extending through holes in the base and having around them thin resilient flared skirts with their edges sealed to the base by fused glass seals, so that the skirts permit slight relative rocking movement as between the envelope and said members and protect said seals, and also having end portions extending inward into the envelope and contact stud portions projecting outward from the basein the direction of the axis of said seating shoulder; and an energy-translating unit in said envelope mounted on the inward-extending ends of said members, with its translating element in definite, predetermined position relative to said seating shoulder of said base.

3. An electric translating device comprising a glass bulb or envelope, and a base forming part of the envelope wall and having a seating shoulder for engaging a corresponding socket shoulder; metal contact terminal devices comprising members extending through holes in the base and having around them thin metal skirts with their edges sealed to the base by fused glass seals, and also having end portions extending inward into the envelope and contact stud portions projecting outward from the base in the direction of the axis of saidseating shoulder; and an energy-' der for engaging a corresponding socket shoul-- der; metal contact terminal devices comprising members extending through holes in the base and having around them thin skirts with their edges sealed to the base by fused glass seals, and also having hollow end portions extending inward into the envelope and contact stud portions projecting outward from the base in the direction of the axis of said seating shoulder; and an energy-translating unit in said envelope including supports having their ends telescoped and secured in the hollow inward-extending end portions of said members, with the energy-translating element of said unit in definite, predeterniined position relative to said seating shoulder of said base. I

5. An electric translating device comprising a glass bulb or envelope, and a base forming part of the envelope wall and having a seating shoulder for, engaging a corresponding socket shoulder; substantially rigid contact terminal devices sealed by fusion to said base part of the envelope wall, forming electrical connections to the inside of the latter and projecting externally from the latter as cylindrical contact studs in the direction of the axis of said seating shoulder, and reduced in diameter adjacent the base so as to aiford securing shoulders facing toward the same; and an energy-translating unit mounted in said envelope and connected to said terminal devices, with its energy-translating element in definite, predetermined position relative to said seating shoulder of said base.

6. The combination of a glass base-piece, for forming part of the bulb or envelope Wall of an electric translating device, adapted to be sealed by fusion to the glass wall of a bulb or envelope of such a device and having an annular seating shoulder for engaging a corresponding shoulder of a socket; a substantially rigid contact terminal device affording electrical connection through said base piece and provided with engagement means for coacting with corresponding engagement means of the socket to hold the said base shoulder against the socket shoulder; and a fused glass seal forming a fluid-tight joint between said contact terminal device and said base-piece.

'7. The combination of a glass bulb-wall base having a seating shoulder for engaging a corresponding shoulder of a socket; and a substantially rigid metal contact-terminal device affording electrical connection through the base and having spaced edges sealed by fusion into the glass of the latter, and also provided with engagement means for coactlng with corresponding engagement means of the socket to hold the said base shoulder against the socket shoulder.

8. The combination of a. glass bulb-wall base having an annular seating shoulder for engaging a corresponding shoulder of a socket; and a metal contact terminal member affording electrical connection through said base and including a contact stud for lateral engagement with contactmeans of the socket and a securing shoulder for engagement with other means in the socket.

9. The combination of a bulb-wall base having a seating shoulder for engaging 9. corresponding shoulder of a socket; and a: metal contact terminal member affording electrical connection through said base and including a stud with lateral contact surface for engaging contact means of the socket and a securing shoulder between said contact surface and said seating shoulder of said base for engagement with other means in the socket.

10. The combination of a glass bulb-wall base havingan annular seating shoulder for engaging a corresponding shoulder of a socket; and a metal contact terminal member affording electrical connection through said base and including a cylindrical contact stud reduced in-diameter adjacent the base so as to aiford a securing shoulder facing the said seating shoulder.

11. The combination of a bulb-wall base of heat-resistant glass having a seating shoulder for engaging a corresponding shoulder of a socket; and a rigid metal contact terminal extending through said base and provided with a surrounding flared skirt with its edge only fused into the glass of said base, and also with engagement means for cooperating with corresponding engagement means of a. socket to hold the said seating shoulder against the socket shoulder.

12. The combination of a bulb-wall base having a seating shoulder for engaging a corresponding shoulder of a socket; and a rigid member extending through the base and provided with a aoaaoeo surrounding thin flared skirt having its edgesealed to the base by a. fused glass seal, said skirt having elastic flexure permitting slight. relative rocking as between said rigid member and said base, and being provided with engagement means for cooperating with corresponding engagement means of a socket to hold the said seating shoulder against the socket shoulder.

13. The combination of a bulb-wall base; a metal cup or flare, with a fused glass seal forming a fluid-tight joint between the edge of said flare and said base; and a rigid metal contact terminal member extending through a hole in the bottom of said cup or flare and reduced to aiford a shoulder abutting against the same, with a fused metal seal forming a fluid-tight joint between said flare and said member at said shoulder.

14. The combination of a glass bulb-wall base with a projecting boss and a hole through said base and boss; and a rigid metal contact terminal extending through said hole and provided with a surrounding flared skirt having its edge sunk and fused into the thickness of said base and around its saidboss.

15. A metal contact terminal device for a bulbwall base comprising a rigid member adapted to extend through the base and a flared skirt around said member with outer edge adapted for sealing to the base by a fused glass seal, and also including a portion at one side of said skirt for the attachment of electric translating device supports and engagement means at the other side of said skirt for engaging corresponding means in a socket for the said base.

16. A metal contact terminal device for a bulbwall base comprising a rigid post member adapted to extend through the base and a thin flared skirt.

around said member with outer edge adapted for sealing to the base by a fused glass seal, said skirt having elastic flexure permitting slight relative rocking between said rigid member and said base.

17. A metal contact terminal device for a bulbwall base comprising a rigid post member adapted to extend through the base and a resilient flared skirt of Fernico around said member sealed and attached thereto with a joint of fused metal.

. 18. A metal contact terminal device adapted to extend through a bulb-wall base and comprising a cylindrical member including a contact stud portion and an adjacent reduced portion .aifording a securing shoulder, and a flared skirt around said member spaced from said securing shoulder, with outer edge adapted for sealing to the base by a fused glass seal.

19. A metal contact terminal device for a bulbwall base comprising a member adapted to extend through the base and having a reduced portion afiording a shoulder, a metal cup or flare around said member at said shoulder, with outer edge adapted for sealing to the base by a fused glass seal, and a fused metal seal attaching said flare to the reduced portion and the shoulder of said member with a fluid-tight joint.

20. I A metal contact terminal device for a bulbwall base comprising a cylindrical member including a contact and securing stud portion and a reduced portion adapted to extend through the base, with an intermediate shoulder; a metal cup or flare around said reduced portion fitting against said shoulder, with outer edge adapted for sealing to the base by a fused glass seal; and a fused metal seal attaching said flare tosaid reduced portion and shoulder of said member with a fluid-tight joint.

21. An electrical devicecomprising a vitreous envelope having openings therein, a plurality of metal terminal members consisting of cylindrical prongs each having a thin metal skirt secured thereto by a fluid tight joint, one of said prongs extending through each of said openings and the rim of the skirt thereon being fused and embedded in the vitreous material around said opening, each of said prongs having an enlarged portion at its outer end spaced from the flare thereon to provide a securing shoulder facing the envelope for engagement with securing means in a socket, and a mount within said envelope comprising an energy translation element and leads connected to the inner ends of said prongs.

22. An electrical device comprising a vitreous envelope, a cup-shaped vitreous body sealed at its rim to an opening in said envelope and having a plurality of openings in the bottom thereof, a plurality of metal terminal members consisting of cylindrical prongs each having a thin metal skirt secured thereto by a fluid-tight joint, one of said prongs extending through each of the openings in said cup-shaped vitreous body and the rim of the skirt thereon being fused and embedded in the vitreous material around said opening, each of said. prongs having an enlarged portion at its outer end spaced from the flare thereon to provide a securing shoulder facing the bottom of said cup-shaped vitreous body for engagement with securing means in a socket, and a mount within said envelope comprising an energy translation element and leads connected to the inner ends oi. said prongs.

23. An electric energy translation device comprising a vitreous envelope having openings therein, a plurality of metal contact terminal devices each comprising a rigid prong member extending through one of said openings and a thin flared skirt around said member with its outer edge sealed directly to the vitreous material around said opening, said skirt having elastic flexure permitting slight relative rocking between said rigid prong member and said envelope, said prong member having sufficient rigidity to support the device, and an electric energy translation element in said envelope connected to said rigid members.

24. An electrical device comprising an envelope having a comparatively heavy preformed glass portion with a plurality of holes therethrough, a plurality of rigid metal contact prongs extending through said holes and provided with surrounding flared skirts having their edges sunk and fused into the thickness of said preformed glass portion around the said holes, and a light source in said envelope supported by and electrically connected to said prongs.

25. An electrical device comprising an envelope having a comparatively heavy preformed glass portion with a plurality of projecting bosses thereon and a hole through each of said bosses and said preformed glass portion; a plurality of rigid metal contact prongs extending through said holes and provided with surrounding flared skirts having their edges sunk and fused into the thickness of said preformed glass portion and around said bosses; and a light source in said envelope supported by and electrically connected to said prongs.

DANIEL K. WRIGHT. 

